Helene froze, her mind going completely blank as she stood by the bathroom door, staring at Caleb with a complicated look on her face.
She had only co in to grab the towel she’d forgotten earlier. She had planned to wait until Caleb, Naya, and Sophia went out so she could quietly retrieve it without awkwardness.
But instead... here she was.
And there he was—still in the bathtub.
Her body stiffened as her wide eyes involuntarily scanned him. From his ridiculously handso face and deep green eyes down to his perfectly sculpted chest and lean, athletic build, Caleb looked like soone straight off the cover of a magazine.
And then... her gaze dropped lower.
Helene’s breath caught. She swallowed hard as her eyes landed on the unmistakable sight of his length, resting lazily between his legs like a sleeping beast.
Her face turned crimson in an instant.
"I—I’m so sorry!" she blurted, her head bowing as she scrambled to speak. "I didn’t an to—I thought you’d gone out with the others! I just ca to grab my towel!"
Caleb quickly sat up straighter, waving his hands in flustered dismissal. "No, no—it’s fine! Really. It’s just a misunderstanding. Go ahead and grab what you need."
He felt a twinge of guilt as he spoke, recalling the awkward elevator incident between them. Helene, being the sweet and sowhat naive girl she was, had ended up blaming herself for that slip-up—when in truth, he knew he’d been the one at fault. That innocence only made him feel worse.
"Thank you," Helene mumbled softly, her voice small. She kept her gaze turned firmly away from him as she stepped inside, her face still glowing red. She made her way toward her pink towel, which hung neatly on the tallic rail near the bathtub.
But even as she avoided his eyes, her thoughts wouldn’t stop racing.
Whenever she thought about Caleb—even now—her mind kept replaying the scene in the elevator. The warmth of his hands, the way he’d touched her... The images flooded back unbidden, and her cheeks burned even hotter.
’What is wrong with ?’ she thought frantically, her heart pounding. She shook her head sharply, trying to clear the mories. But they clung to her like stubborn vines. Worse, she felt a strange shiver rush through her body, and with it, an unsettling thought:
’What if it happens again...?’
She squeezed her eyes shut, forcing herself to focus.
"Uhm... aren’t you done yet?" Caleb’s voice broke through her daze. He sounded a little stiff, probably just as uncomfortable as she was.
"Oh! Right—sorry, I spaced out—I’ll just get going!" Helene stamred, grabbing the towel hastily and turning to leave.
But in her flustered rush, she didn’t notice the wet floor near the tub.
Her foot slid.
"Ah!" she yelped, her balance tipping. In an instant, she slipped.
"Helene!" Caleb exclaid, his instincts kicking in as he reached forward to catch her—
She fell straight onto him, and they both crashed back into the tub.
SPLASH!
Water erupted around them, sloshing over the edges as the two froze in shock.
Helene blinked rapidly, her mind went blank for a mont, as she processed what had just happened.
Caleb’s bright green eyes stared back at her, wide and startled. His arms had instinctively wrapped around her, trying to steady her fall.
She hadn’t expected this. She had only been in a rush to leave, but the slick water on the floor betrayed her.
What amazed her most, however, wasn’t the fall—it was the tone in Caleb’s voice when he called her na. The raw concern, the genuine care. Her heart skipped, then fluttered wildly in her chest.
Helene wasn’t the type who interacted much with n—in fact, she’d always avoided them. But ever since their encounter in the elevator with Caleb, sothing inside her had shifted.
Her confidence lted away whenever he was near.
And now, with their faces inches apart, her pulse was hamring so loud she swore he could hear it.
She didn’t know why, but his eyes—those deep, intense eyes—always drew her in, like they were pulling her under so invisible spell. The way he spoke, the way he carried himself... she admired him more than she wanted to admit.
Trapped in that silence, Helene’s thoughts spiraled. She wished she could disappear, vanish from this embarrassing ss.
"I-I’m so sorry!" she blurted out suddenly, turning her face away, her hands moved instinctively to cover her eyes.
Her voice trembled, small and panicked.
But as she shifted, they both beca aware of sothing else—a sensation that neither of them had noticed until now.
Helene’s entire body stiffened.
Caleb froze.
And then... the heat rose.
Helene’s face turned an alarming shade of red—starting at her neck and rushing up to her cheeks like boiling water. For a second, it felt like steam might start billowing from her head.
She felt it. Firm and unmistakable—Caleb’s length, pressing softly against her through the thin barrier of wet fabric. It rested just beneath her, warm and solid under her buttocks.
And Caleb... Caleb could feel the incredible softness of her. Her delicate curves pressing down on him like the most exquisite tornt. Her body was small, yet impossibly warm, and her damp clothes clung to every contour.
He swallowed hard, his throat dry.
For what felt like a full minute, neither of them moved. Neither spoke. The only sound was the soft dripping of water, echoing against the tiled walls like an uninvited reminder of reality.
Caleb’s mind raced. ’What do I even say? How do I explain this?’ His lips parted slightly, searching for words.
But before he could utter a single syllable, a voice rang out from just outside the bathroom door.
"Caleb, we’re back! I got the clothes for you. You should co try them on."
Both Caleb and Helene jolted at the sound, snapping out of the charged silence as if a spell had been broken.
Helene froze like a deer in headlights, her hands still clutched over her flushed face. Caleb’s heart thudded in his chest, every muscle tense as the voice outside grew closer.
’Shit. Naya.’ Caleb’s mind went blank for a second. ’If she sees this... I’m dead. We’re both dead.’
He quickly shifted his gaze to Helene. She was staring at him with wide, panicked eyes, her entire body trembling.
"Don’t. Move," he whispered, his voice barely audible over the faint ripple of water.
Another knock. "Caleb? You in there?"
Caleb cleared his throat, trying to sound casual. "Y-Yeah! I’m just... almost done! Give a sec!"
There was a pause. Too long of a pause. Caleb could almost feel Sophia’s suspicion pressing through the door.
"Alright..." Her voice lingered, hesitant. "Hurry up, dinner’s almost ready."
Footsteps retreated down the hall.
Caleb exhaled hard, running a hand over his wet hair. "That... was close," he muttered under his breath.
Helene still hadn’t moved. Her face was buried against his chest, her shaky breath warm against his skin.
Slowly, she tilted her head up, cheeks blazing crimson. "I... I didn’t an to..." she whispered, voice trembling with embarrassnt.
Caleb managed a wry smile, though his pulse was still hamring. "I know. Just... let’s get you out before we really get caught."
Helene nodded quickly and tried to stand—but her knees wobbled, and she nearly slipped again. Caleb’s arms shot out instinctively, catching her by the waist and pulling her back against him.
The warmth of her body pressed against his bare skin sent a surge of heat racing through him. For a heartbeat, their eyes locked, and that unspoken tension ca roaring back like a storm ready to break.
Neither of them spoke. Neither moved.
Then, as if reality suddenly ca crashing in, Helene tore herself away, clutching her towel like a lifeline as she bolted out of the bathroom, her face burning red.
Caleb leaned back in the tub, dragging a hand over his face and exhaling a long, shaky breath.
’This... is getting way too complicated.’
A few minutes later, he stepped out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist, water still dripping from his hair. Helene was gone—or so he thought.
He had barely taken two steps into the room when the door clicked open again.
Helene was standing there, frozen mid-step, her damp pink towel clutched tightly against her chest.
And then—another sound. The door swung wider.
"Caleb! Have you seen the news feeds—" Naya waltzed into the room, her tone casual, until her eyes landed on the scene before her.
Her steps halted.
The air turned heavy.
Caleb and Helene stood like two thieves caught red-handed, their gazes darting anywhere but Naya’s eyes.
Water still glistened on Caleb’s bare chest. Helene’s cheeks were crimson, her hair dripping slightly as if she’d been in the bathroom too.
For a beat, no one said a word.
Then Naya’s lips curved—not into a smile, but sothing far more dangerous.
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